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I'm the maid of honor in my college roommate's wedding this fall and like many friendships nowadays, we no longer live in the same city. I've actually only been to where she currently lives a few times, including this past weekend for her bridal shower.

When Sparkfactor noticed that there was a new showroom being built just blocks away from our old office in Wicker Park, we reached out to Fletcher Jones Audi to let them know how they could take advantage of a Google virtual tour to let potential customers see into the new showroom. They loved the idea and agreed to have us come back when the showroom was completed.

Sparkfactor had helped Wattage Personal Training with website updates in the past, so when they needed to do a more substantial update, they came to us for help.

To update images of their West Loop location, we started with a Google Business View virtual tour. The Google virtual tour allows potential clients to see the inside of the open workout space, which includes the latest equipment and techonology to help clients acheive their goals.

Sparkfactor recently photographed a Google virtual tour of Marshall Pierce & Company. Marshall Pierce & Company specializes in fine timepieces, as well as bridal and fine jewelry. The brightly lit, two-story showroom allows for plenty of space to walk around and admire the fine craftsmanship.

This weekend at golf's Ryder Cup, the American team beat the European team for the first time in eight years. Celebration was had by all—veteran Phil Mickelson sprayed champagne on watching spectators—and was a great way to end this season of golf.

In 2015, Sparkfactor photographed Google My Business Street View virtual tours of a number of Skokie Park District locations. Included in that list were the Weber Park Golf Course and the Skokie Sports Park, which includes a driving range and mini golf course.

May is Photography Month, and we love photography here at Sparkfactor. This week, we'll be publishing a series of posts based on photography. Today's post focuses on the importance of a virtual tour.

Humans are creatures of habit and want to go where they feel comfortable and known. To have a tour of your business right on the search results page is a way to separate yourself from the pack and connect with your audience.

Saturday is National Tourism Day and while it's really a day for tourist sites to promote themselves and their locations, don't think tourism doesn't affect your business.

"Tourist" is just a fancy word for visitor and visitors to your restaurant, storefront, or service business can be from anywhere: a country on the other side of the world, a few states away, or a neighborhood on the other side of town. And when people visit new places, they look for recommendations on where to eat, shop, and relax, starting with the Internet.

Co-working spaces and office sharing are new trends, and they are here to stay. As freelancers are likely to increase to 40% of the nation's working population by 2020, locations that provide a space where individuals and small businesses or start-ups can work will also increase.

We recently photographed Edgeworx, a co-working space in Edgewater. See what makes Edgeworx a great place for a distraction-free workday or an all-day seminar.